Lily in Midnight
by Sakurau121
Summary: Set after DW.Loki rules Asgard with an iron fist, and all believe Odin dead and Thor to have deserted them.Disturbance in the universe force S.H.I.E.L.D. to send an agent undercover to Asgard, under the façade of servant girl, to find out the truth, and whether Loki is in fact alive. But due to a terrible mistake, they send not an agent, but her identical twin, an innocent girl...
1. Chapter 1

Prologue:

S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, 10:30 AM (EDT)

"Agent Coulson, I think we have a problem."

"No," replied Coulson swiftly before travelling over towards one of the newest recruits, who was frowning at his screen, a confused expression on his face. "Never say 'I think', it's highly inaccurate. Only ever call me over if you are a hundred percent certain, otherwise you're wasting my time."

"I'm sorry sir-" started the recruit, turning to apologize but Coulson was now staring at the screen, his previously irritated expression subtly turning into intrigue.

"What's that?" said Coulson bluntly, pointing at the blue dots on the screen.

"That's the problem. I've been tracking this since I've arrived here, since Thor returned to earth and the incident in London. Now that we are aware of Asgard, it's become easier to track its whereabouts, if only vaguely through the effects it has on solar systems around us. But the worrying thing is that there are planets that have become, well, I don't how to say this, frost planets, like it's resources have been drained and been left frozen. Some of our latest S.H.I.E.L.D. droids we sent to survey them came back with these pictures," explained the recruit, opening up pictures of frozen lands and cold landscapes which Coulson analyzed cautiously.

"I don't know what to make of it, at first I thought it was just nature, but it's happening to perfectly sound planets which haven't changed in years. The changes are too drastic, it's beyond anything our science -"

"Thanos," muttered Coulson.

"No, not Thanos. The planet wouldn't exist if he caused this. No, it's been frozen by something, but…"

"There's only one thing that could do that," said Coulson gravely. "And only one person who'd know more about it than we do."

"What is it sir?"

"The Casket of Ancient Winters. We need to talk to Thor."

_For a long time, most people within our acquaintance assumed that my sister and me were in every way the same, just one half of each other. It's a common mistake that most people who don't have an identical twin make and they could easily be forgiven for thinking so. Even I thought that we were similar, and indeed throughout our childhood we were inseparable, the best of friends. But that was before the change. Before they took her away… _

_It happened when we were eleven, to be precise, our birthday. There we were, sitting in the garden, having just enjoying a day out at the London Zoo when two men in dark black suits came to the house and, after a brief conversation with our parents, proceeded to come into the garden and tell my sister that she was needed elsewhere. I remember what happened precisely. _

"Why do I have to leave? Where am I going? How about my sister?"

"She has to stay I'm afraid. We will explain everything in the car. You'll see your sister soon, I promise."

_Liars. I didn't see my sister again for a year. And even then, she was no longer my sister. It was only later when I was fifteen that my parents finally told confessed the little that they knew. My father's newspaper company had run into bad business, and after finding something that could have saved it, and nearly being killed by it in the process, this 'agency' called S.H.I.E.L.D. saved his life and his business. In return they wanted him never to talk about what he had seen, and to make sure that he didn't, wanted something invaluable in return. My sister. Should he ever divulge to anyone over the incidents that had occurred, she would be terminated. They had taken her away to become part of S.H.I.E.L.D. He refuses to tell me what it was he discovered. That's all that I know. _

_Since finding out about S.H.I.E.L.D. five years ago, I have tediously been researching to find out more and figure out what my sister has become part of. But it's always the same conclusion. Nothing. Was my father ultimately the one to blame? After so much thinking, it all seems so vague to me now. But I see the guilt on my father's face whenever we talk about her. I don't think I've really forgiven him for going after the 'something', which cost my sister's freedom. _

_I heard more about them later of course, and assumed that they were surely behind some of the odd incidences that seemed to be occurring in America. Their questionable activity had changed over the years, with the immergence of the so-called "Avengers" and the battles that they fought in New York. But that was the "Avengers", not S.H.I.E.L.D. I still view them with distain._

_I get to see my sister by and by, maybe once or twice a year. But now there is always a certain distance between us. A wall which separates us, which I know will never go away. A certain cord which has been broken. Been broken since that happy, sunny day when they took her away…. _


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

I'm sitting by the windowsill in a café in Covent Garden, staring at the dull, dark clouds outside, having arrived precisely at half past eleven, on the dot. She always complained in the past that I was always late, so I now try to make a habit of arriving exactly on time. I guess it makes sense, her working for a secret agency and all. Even so, I feel exhausted, after having been given a C minus for my latest essay on Catcher in the Rye and had an explosive argument with my father, after I tried to persuade him to tell me more about what happened to him ten years ago.

Hearing the sound of high-heeled shoes clunking down on the marble floor, and knowing exactly to whom they belonged to, I proceeded to sit up a little straighter and pull down my shirt in attempts to look, even just a little bit, smarter. Of course, I always look like a wilting lily compared to her radiant and striking violet. No, ironically, 'shrinking violet' was never a nickname that _she_ had to put up with.

"Lily," says my sister warmly as she sits down opposite me, or so she likes me to observe. As usual, she looks as immaculate as ever, with her supermodel figure and black suit, her dark brown hair tied neatly in an intricate bun, not a hair loose.

The waiter who comes to our table only gives me a second glance, but stares at my sister for the entire duration in which we give our orders, before reluctantly turning away when my sister merely gives him a polite glance. No one ever notices that we are identical twins now. The only thing that we noticeably share seems to be our dull, almost black, brown eyes.

"So, how have things been?" she asks, placing her phone on the table absentmindedly. Or so she'd like me to think. She's probably waiting for someone to call her so that she can get herself out of this awkward meet-up with the sister that she hardly knows and only sees twice a year. It's always the same questions, and dull, boring answers. I don't know why we even bother anymore. And she always asks about me first to avoid answering any questions of mine.

"Not that great," I say bluntly, wondering if that will, in fact, capture her attention. It's a bit of a lie, to be honest because it's not that my life isn't going well, but it's more that it just isn't going anywhere.

"What happened to that book you were going to get published?" she asks with concern as she lifts up her teacup carefully. _That book._

"Oh, well, it's being rejected again and again, but I guess it's all about keeping it going and trying again. Anyway, I have to concentrate on studies now, since I'm back in Cambridge and-"

"And you're enjoying studying English Literature?" she interrupts, her voice sounding placid and a little sarcastic.

"Well, yes I am," I say a little defensively. "So, how about you-"

"So I presume you still haven't thought about getting a proper job in order to be able to support yourself and stop relying on mum and dad?" she asks with a tone of accusation, as if I hadn't attempted to ask her a question.

"No, not really. I've been busy writing and trying to get my work published. Anyway, studying is time-consuming and I want to be able to concentrate on it fully. Now's the time to study, not work," I say as calmly as I can, even though she's already getting me riled up.

"Lily, I understand, but -"

"Well, you don't understand do you because you've never been to school or university and you've never studied before," I retort back, hardly able to stop myself. For some reason I'm even more mad at her today than most days. Perhaps it's because of the bad weather, it's raining outside now.

My sister stares at me, stunningly beautiful as always but giving no sign of emotion. That seems to be the general image I see when I think of her now. Like a blank canvas. She opens her mouth and replies slowly and deliberately.

"You don't know what my education was Lily, but I assure you, I have done some serious studying in my time. I just think that you may want to seriously think about what _you_ want to do in life. You have a choice, whereas I don't. I was brought up to be part of S.H.I.E.L.D. You, on the other hand, were not brought up to become a penniless writer who no one hears about. "

"Look, I have thought about it, and the fact is I don't care about stability and security. I want to be a writer, there's nothing else I'd rather do," I say incredulously. "You are always going on about me and my life, but what about yours? You never tell me anything about anything, I don't even know you anymore!"

My voice has risen by this point and people around us have started to look and murmur to each other. My sister, however, is not looking at me at all, but staring at her phone. She appears to be reading a text, and a second later it starts to buzz.

"I'm so sorry Lily, but I have to get this," she says, looking at me with guilt, which this time I feel is actually genuine, although I still don't trust my instincts. "I have to go now, but we'll definitely try and meet up again, alright?"

"Fine, ok, go," I say swiftly and as she gets her coat and gives me a quick, detached hug, I come up with one conclusion. For ten years, I've had to put up with her secrecy. Ten years of pure frustration, emptiness and hurt. Today, I realized I'd had enough. Today was the final straw. So, unlike all those other times, today I wouldn't be letting her go off as she usually does. Not this time. No, this time I was going to follow her. I was going to see, even for a brief moment, what my sister was really part of.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

"But sir, why don't we send Thor, or even Agent Romanoff to Asgard instead? Why Agent Lily?" asked Agent Riley, trying to keep up with Coulson who was walking briskly through the car park towards a seemingly unassuming empty lot, closed off only by a feeble-looking fence.

"That is none of your business Agent Riley," replied Coulson curtly, "but if you must know, the problem is complicated, to say the least, and can't be solved with guns. If what you uncovered about the frozen planets is true, then we need to first confirm that it is indeed Loki causing the trouble. The universe is vast and if he's just a small part of it, I'm pretty sure that there's a lot more like him out there, making him merely one possibility."

By now they had pasted through the fence and were standing in the middle of the lot next to what looked like a deserted warehouse.

"Imagine, for scenario's sake, Thor suddenly storming into Asgard, a place whose citizens believe that he has abandoned them. There would be such a commotion that Loki would instantly know he was there and could therefore easily sneak away. Actually, we don't know what he would do but we don't want to take any chances. We need to be subtler than that. This isn't New York again Riley. This is spying, with a capital S. And I'm afraid to say that Thor maybe a god, but he's no spy."

Throughout this talk Agent Riley had been listening intently to Coulson's every word, but towards the end of his speech his expression had turned slowly from that of concentration to shock. Coulson had noticed this, recognizing that Agent Riley was no longer looking at him, but more specifically behind him.

"Are you implying that I am incapable of subtlety Coulson?" came a booming voice from behind, but it was playful and humorous.

"Not at all Thor," replied Coulson as he turned around, grinning at the God of Lightning who stood before them, and, to Agent Riley's mind, every bit as magnificent as the news reels had suggested.

"How are you my friend? We had all thought you dead," said Thor before pulling Coulson into a tight man hug, causing Coulson to chock slightly.

"Not too bad, not too bad, but if you don't mind, I think we have more pressing matters to attend to," said Coulson, but he was smiling all the same.

"Yes of course. You suspect Loki to be alive," said Thor, but this time all previous humor has evaporated and the tone of his voice was stern.

"Well, we have evidence to suggest-" began Coulson but Thor intervened.

"Forgive me, Coulson, but I watched my brother die right before my eyes. Loki is gone, and I'm afraid that whatever is causing this ice age has nothing to do with him."

Coulson sighed before looking at his watch. _Where is Agent Lily?_

_..._

What is she doing, coming so far out of town? Having seen my sister depart from the café I followed her down to a road just behind Leicester Square, where she proceeded to get into a car. By some bizarre coincidence, I had parked my own car only ten cars down, but as she was so far ahead she didn't see me. She wouldn't have suspected me anyway as she didn't know I had very recently got a driver's license.

Following her for thirty minutes we drove through the city and gradually the traffic started to lessen until I had no idea where we were. Just as I was about to give up she took a sudden left and drove through a narrow road before entering into a mostly deserted car park, except for one lone black, business-like car. I decided to park right outside the entrance of the car park, just to be on the safe side, and got out before waiting to see my sister come out. In the near distance I could see a rusty old warehouse, and two men in black suits standing in front of it. I gasped. I recognized their attire at once. S.H.I.E.L.D.

But then two things happened simultaneously that caught my breath once more. The first thing that I noticed was that suddenly there were not two, but three men standing in the lot. The third man appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Either that or he had flown down or something. Which is completely ridiculous. But even from where I was standing, I could make out a red cape billowing in the wind. Was that the guy from New York? No, it couldn't be….

The second thing I noticed was that the person coming out of my sister's car was not my sister at all. It wasn't even a woman. It was a man. Or, more specifically, a construction worker. He was carrying a helmet and orange safety jacket. As I ran down the car park, determined to confront this stranger who had stolen my sister's car, I noticed the number plate. It was completely different. This wasn't my sister's car. So where was my sister?

"I'm sorry, but I was wondering, have you seen a car around here that is exactly like yours?"

"I'm sorry?" said the construction worker, turning around to look at me with a confused expression on his face.

"I know it's a strange question but-"

"Lily!"

I turned around at the sound of my name to see the men in black suits running towards me, the man in the cape carrying what appeared to be a hammer striding not far behind. How on earth did they know my name?

"Who are you?" I asked quizzically to the man in the suit, but he merely smiled knowingly before facing the construction worker.

"I need you to leave the premises now. Do you understand?"

"Excuse me?"

"Ok, let me make this easier for you, leave now," said the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent calmly, as he pulled out a gun and aimed it directly at the man. "Forget my face and hers."

The worker put his hands up in shock before running straight back to his car and speeding off.

"Right, well now that's over and done with, come on Lily," said the agent lightly.

As the two other men slowly came into focus, coming closer and closer, I suddenly remembered who the blond man with the red cape was. It was Thor, one of the Avengers. There was no doubt now. S.H.I.E.L.D. had had everything to do with everything. Only where was my sister?

"I don't understand. I'm not going anywhere with you!"

"I see you've already got into character, that's good," said Coulson, smiling. "This is how good they get."

"Yes, it's rather disconcerting," said Thor, who was staring at me with concern, his eyebrows furrowed. I probably looked absolutely terrified.

"You will be posing as a servant within court," began Agent Riley. "Your aim is to get as close as you can to the throne, try to get into the palace."

"What? I think there must be-"

"Sif is aware of your presence, but she has no idea that you are human," warned Thor. Despite the fact that I was severely confused, I couldn't help feeling that in the flesh, this so called God of Thunder really did have a presence. "I have merely told her that you are a pauper from Vanaheim, an acquaintance of mine who is seeking to be of service within court because you feel you owe me a debt for having saved your life a long time ago."

"There must be some kind of mis-" I started to protest but was cut off again.

"Enough Lily. Remember, your mission is to find out if Loki is alive or not, and whether he is the reason for the frozen planets forming in solar systems around us," spoke Coulson quickly but firmly.

"There's not much time. Heimdall is also aware, and he will lead you to Sif. Once you know the source of these frozen planets, simply ask Heimdall to send you back to earth. That is the full extent of your services," said Thor, who was now looking up into the sky. Seeing my attempt to speak again he interrupted, as if knowing what I was going to ask. "Do not, I repeat, do not attempt to stop Loki, if he truly is the one behind all this. He is dangerous and will try to kill you, do you understand? Heimdall, open the Bifrost!"

"What are you saying? There's a huge mistake!" I snapped with frustration, but I suddenly found myself in a tight grip and looked up to see Thor with his hammer up in the air. A second later I heard thunder and out of nowhere lightning streamed down to us. I vaguely heard someone shout good luck, and then I felt myself catapult into the air. With so much light blinding my eyes, I couldn't see a thing, the only thing stopping me from swaying into oblivion being the unyielding grip of Thor's arm around me. Wishing for the weird sense of seasickness to stop, I closed my eyes tight and clung on to Thor for dear life. It was at that point that I suddenly realized how faint I was, and rapidly I felt my conscious slip, and everything turned to black and silence, the distant echo of my name ringing in my ears.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Would just like to say a huge thank you for all the reviews, follows and favourites! It really motivates me to carry it on, as there's no point unless you guys are enjoying it! Sorry for all this exposition but it should be getting more fun soon. In the mean time, happy reading!

Chapter 3

The first thing I feel is cold. Something extremely cold is being pushed up against my cheek, my hands, no, my entire body. Wait. Perhaps I'm pushing down on it… What is this?

I open my eyelids slowly with difficulty, they feel so heavy, as if they've been closed for a millennium. I soon come to realize that I am lying on the ground. On a cold, golden, metallic ground to be precise. As I stare in front of me, I notice two feet and what appeared to be a sword in between them. I turn my head slowly upwards, my heart racing as I wonder if this person is about to attack me. I am too weak to even get up and attempt to run away.

The man staring down at me is even more intimidating that I had imagined. Tall, broad-shouldered, with what looked like Viking-esque golden armor and a helmet shaped like that of an ox, this man might as well have escaped from mythology itself. He was looking down at me, his hands balancing his gigantic sword on the ground, unwavering.

I soon notice that my legs have started to move, no, to scramble, as I shuffle as fast as I can away from him. He's still staring at me but does not move, he does not even stir. As my sight comes into focus I notice that his eyes are in fact his most beguiling feature, despite everything else. I can't describe what they are like, amber is the closest but there is something more than that. Supernatural. Changeable. If there's one thing that's for sure, they were not human.

"Do not be alarmed, fair maiden."

My god, his _voice. _It was the deepest and most otherworldly voice I had ever heard. It was not, however, intimidating, not harsh. It was warm and comforting. I felt myself still slightly and relax.

"Who are you?" I asked, surprised to find my vocal chords still working.

"I am Heimdall, Guardian of Worlds, and you are Lily Fitzgerald, and you are not of this world."

"How did you-"

"I see everything," replied Heimdall with a soft smile, or whatever his name was.

"Right," I said, because I couldn't think of anything else to say. "Where is Thor?!"

I suddenly remembered that he had hold of me securely as we came here, before I fainted. My god, I can't believe I actually _fainted_…..

It was then that I first realized what I was sitting inside of. As I turned around in search of Thor, I suddenly became aware that I was sitting inside a massive dome, the interior covered in gold, sphere-like patterns. As I turned to my right I saw what looked like a massive hole, no doubt what I had come flying through. To my left I saw what I could only describe as a rainbow bridge that was surrounded by ocean. I looked back Heimdall, no doubt with confusion riddled on my face.

"Where the hell am I?" I whispered.

"Asgard," replied Heimdall, still not moving. "It is the home of Thor, the Prince of Asgard, the God of Lightning, who, just moments ago, brought you here."

"Yes, but where is he?" I ask, desperation in my voice.

"That I cannot say," said Heimdall, his voice, for the first time, sounding a little troubled and hesitant. "You must forgive me. Please allow me to give you a proper answer in the near future. In the mean time, Sif is waiting for you."

"Waiting for me?" I had completely forgotten what Thor had told me back down in earth. It seemed, strangely, like eons ago.

"Yes, and you must not waste time. Remember why you are here and your purpose," said Heimdall before finally moving towards me and offering his hand. That's right, Heimdall was one of the good guys who knew about me…

Taking his hand I gave him a quick, and what I felt, feeble, thanks before following him to the entrance of the dome and then outside onto the rainbow bridge, where a grey horse, which previously was most definitely not there, stood.

"Er, I don't ride horses," I stammered with embarrassment, staring down the rainbow bridge. Gosh it was a long way…

"Not to worry, Serefina knows where to go. She will not gallop, I assure you. You merely need to sit steadily and make sure you do not fall," said Heimdall and without warning, proceeded to take me by the waist and hoist me up on to the horse so quickly that there was not even time for me to react. I might as well have been a toothpick, he was so strong.

"When you arrive, tell them that you are Lily, the servant girl recently arrived from Vaneheimr, to be of service for Sif, the Goddess of War."

"The Goddess of _War?!_ Never mind, Vaneheimr, right, got it," I said nervously before giving Heimdall a firm smile.

"Oh, and do not mention that surname of yours, it is thoroughly Midgardian and not at all that of Asgard. Servants do not have the luxury of having surnames, you would do best to remember that."

"Right, of course. Lily, just Lily then."

"Good luck," murmured Heimdall before whispering in Serefina's ear. And then, as if under hypnosis, Serefina began to move.

…..

"Where is she?" asked Sif impatiently as she paced up and down her room. "She should be here by now."

"I'm sure that she will be here momenta-"

"Lily!" exclaimed Sif upon seeing a nervous-looking, wide-eyed, dark-brunette enter her room.

"Lily, milady, of Vanaheimr, sent here by Thor to be your personal servant," said the footman before backing out of the room, along with Sif's seamstress.

"So, you are Lily. I am so glad that we are finally able to meet," said Sif warmly. "I am Sif, as I am sure you would have gathered."

I had gathered that the dark-haired, elegant and utterly beautiful woman, no, goddess, standing in front of me was Sif. But how could she not tell, next to her immaculate self, that I wasn't an Asgardian?

"Yes, I, um, have," I said shakily before giving a small laugh. "I'm sorry if I sound incoherent, it's just that I didn't realize how, er, god-like you would be."

"Oh!" said Sif with surprise, staring at me a little oddly before smiling. "Well, it's not all that it's cracked up to be, if you must know. Sometimes I think mortals behave better than we do. Well, at least, better than _some _of us."

"Now," announced Sif before walking over to a large wardrobe, everything seemed to be large here, "it so happens we have a banquet tonight, and therefore I must be dressed appropriately. However I find that I am not very talented in choosing the right attire. I hate to suddenly put you on the spot but could be possibly help me decide on what to wear?"

"Oh, of course," I said brightly with relief. After all that had happened so far, it was nice to suddenly be asked to do something so normal. I still couldn't believe that I was in Asgard, a place supposedly only real in Norse mythology…

"You know, you're not exactly what Thor pictured you to be," said Sif carefully as she pulled out several dresses and proceeded to hold them up against herself. "He said you were plain, but you clearly are not."

"What?" I said, looking up puzzled. That was the perfect description of what I was.

Sif smiled as I shook my head towards the yellow dress she was holding up.

"And yet, you are so unaware of yourself," she replied as she stared at me with intrigue before picking up a fiery red one. "How about this?"

"Perfect," I admitted, "a true Goddess of War."

"Good," nodded Sif, "then this will surely keep any drunk men at the table this evening at bay."

"I doubt that milady," I said, copying the footman. "You are too beautiful for that."

"Oh please Lily, call me Sif," retorted Sif before pulling her hair back into a bun.

"Right, of course," I replied quickly before proceeding to put the other dresses back into the wardrobe.

"You know, I could do with having you with me tonight," murmured Sif as she proceeded to put on light make-up by her dressing table.

"Tonight? At the banquet?" I stammer, suddenly feeling nervous again. Wait... Remember why you're here. "Would the King be there?"

"Well, of course he will be. Loki never cared for banquets in the past, but now that he is King it is his duty to host these things I suppose," said Sif, but I could sense bitterness in her voice. Hang on a second…

"Loki! Loki is King of _Asgard_?!" I blurt out, unable to control myself. "He's alive? But what about the previous King?"

"Odin?" replied Sif, getting up from her chair to face me. "Where have you been little one? King Odin has been gone for at least a year now, died with grief after the loss of our beloved Queen. Thor, having refused the crown, was no longer an heir, so Loki became King."

Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"Milady, the banquet has started and the King demands your presence."

"Speak of the devil," murmured Sif. "Quick, change into any dress you chose, you must blend in. I do not wish to have to put up with Volstagg's reminiscing fables of bravery for six hours by myself tonight. I am in need of female companionship, now that Queen Frigga is gone."

"Of course," I say before bowing.

When I look up, Sif has already gone and the doors have closed.

As I look around Sif's room, I am amazed by the sheer size of the place. Everything in Asgard is covered in gold, Viking-like symbolism. Everything is so grand and the ultimate statement of power.

I had to keep my head straight. My sister was supposed to be sent here with a mission by S.H.I.E.L.D. to find out if Loki, the source of the entire catastrophe that had occurred in New York, was indeed alive. It seems that he was. Now, I just needed to see it with my own eyes. I knew what he looked like, of course. I knew because I'd seen him, handcuffed next to Thor on the news channel. It was everywhere.

He was everything Thor was not. Thin, lean, pale-skinned with midnight black hair and green, unforgiving eyes which never showed any signs of warmth. The God of Mischief, she'd heard some people call him.

I decide to wear a sleeveless blue, almost midnight blue long dress. Well if I was really going to blend in with _Norse gods_ then I had to wear the best thing I could find. I leave my hair down and proceed to take a deep breath before leaving the room.

….

As I entered what I think is a massive throne room adorned with gold, again, everywhere, and massive columns along both sides, I was struck by how high the ceiling was and the sheer amount of people sitting along the tables laid down through the middle. Thankfully Sif was sitting not far from the door, and I could see that she had left one seat open beside her.

"Where have you been?" demanded Sif, looking up as I sat down.

"My sincerest apologizes Sif," I say, bowing my head. It is then that I hear a laugh coming from in front.

"Oh, come along now Sif, do not be so harsh on the maiden. And what is your name, young Lady?"

I turned to see a handsome blonde man with a devilish smirk on his face looking at me expectantly.

"Her name is Lily. And this scoundrel-" began Sif in a dead-pan voice.

"Scoundrel?" interrupted the man, a look of mock-hurt about him. "Ouch. My name is Fandral, _the Dashing_."

"Ugh," replied Sif with disgust, in reaction to Fandral's smoldering gaze towards me. He was handsome all right, but he was playful and that made me want to laugh.

"ALL RISE!"

And then suddenly, the atmosphere in the room changed exponentially.

"Get up," hissed Sif as everyone simultaneously rose and silence fell over the hall where only a mere moment ago was filled with laughter and chatter.

As I stood up, I became aware that someone had appeared from the far right hand side of room. It was too far away for me to see clearly, but I immediately knew who it was of course. I noticed the green robes and the tall, lean figure before the announcement.

"ALL BOW FOR HIS MAJESTY, KING LOKI OF ASGARD!"

I joined everyone else as we bowed, our right hand crossed onto our chest.

"Our King," droned everyone in unison before rising.

Suddenly a lone, cold, merciless laugh filled the room.

"Why so silent? Please, continue with your meaningless chatter and drunken laughter, is that not why you have all gathered here tonight?"

His voice was sarcasm itself but riddled with patronizing bitterness. No one spoke.

"Sit."

We all sat. My god, he was treating these gods like dogs, like animals. Asgard might as well be a dictatorship. I huffed out in anger before reaching out for fruit that lay in the middle of the table.

"SIF!"

I jumped at Loki's sudden outburst. I was amazed to find Sif sitting completely still beside me before rising calmly to face Loki.

"Your Majesty," spoke Sif, before bowing stiffly.

"Who is that creature beside you?"

With Sif standing, I was glad that I could not see Loki, but how on earth had he seen me? I could hardly see him from here and he seemed to have been preoccupied with himself when he had entered the room.

"Her name is Lily, of Vanaheimr, and she is my newest lady-in-waiting," replied Sif.

"Is that right," said Loki, his sharp and yet lazy, clearly unconvinced voice echoing off the walls of the hall.

It was then that I heard him command in front of the entire Asgardian court the very thing I was dreading him to say. If he was half of what the papers had said he was, I was doomed. I wasn't an agent. I wasn't my sister. I was just an undergraduate from Oxford who wanted to be a writer. I wasn't prepared for this. I didn't sign up for this. I shivered as the unfeeling voice spoke once more.

"Stand up, Lily of Vanaheimr."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

The silence in the hall as I stood up was harrowing, you could hear a pin drop. The only sound I could make out was my uneven breathing and the thumping of my heart against my chest. If he found out…

I swallowed before staring up at Loki, who was so far away that I could not make out his expression. Had he been right in front of me, I would not have dared to look directly at him. It would have been too intimidating. This is a man who was responsible for countless deaths in New York. He was a terrorist.

"What, exactly, prompted you to come to my court?" asked Loki, his voice expressionless.

I blinked several times, slightly surprised. I had been expecting him to start shouting at me or send me to the dungeons.

"The Prince of Asgard, Thor-" I began but immediately stopped when people involuntarily started to gasp and stare at Loki in fear.

I froze, my mouth open half way through speech. From here I could not tell what Loki was thinking, and he stood so still, like a statue, that it was impossible to judge. Oh god. What did I just do?

As if things couldn't get worse, I felt my heart plummet to the ground upon seeing Loki start to step down from his throne and, almost nonchalantly, walk towards me.

"Thor is no longer a part of Asgard," said Loki calmly but his tone was impossibly cold, as if even mentioning his name was a burden for him.

Despite the fact that I knew I was pretty much screwed and Loki would see through me, I had to admit there was certain elegance about him that one couldn't help but admire. He was clearly distant and there was definitely a sign of cynicism about him but moreover… He lacked certain empathy that made him seem not quite human…. But what I am kidding, he's practically a god so who am I to judge. And if my study of Greek and Norse mythology told me anything, the gods in those textbooks weren't exactly fluffy bunnies…

"As a newcomer, you _might_ not have known this. You are acquainted with my brother?" he asked, but this was a sinister edge to his voice that he covered up almost transparently with easeful playfulness. But this was a trap. I knew it.

By now he was only feet away and had stopped in front of me. The court merely stared at us, holding their breath. Despite the vivid disdain displayed on his face, I did not look away. He was, truly, worthy of being called a God. He was beautiful, almost statuesque, and his pale face had an almost angelic look about it which heightening the emerald green in his eyes. Which were now threateningly boring into me.

"No answer," growled Loki. "I will ask you one more time. Did Thor send you here?"

"I owe him a debt, from a very long time ago. He once saved my life. I came here to repay him." The fact that I could repeat what Thor had told me was a miracle beyond belief.

"Is… that…. so?" whispered Loki as he got closer, so close that I could feel his cool breath on my face. His voice was intense and yet so quiet that I guessed only I could hear him. "Well, Lily of Vanaheimr, if that is who you _trul__y_ are…. You will come and see me later tonight in my chambers."

As if my heart hadn't gone far down enough, now I feared that it had plummeted to the basement. Only with Loki meant that I would be vulnerable. I had to get out of here, I had to see Heimdall…

"Guards!" roared Loki, so suddenly that the full wave of his voice hit me hard, causing me to flinch.

"Take this low-life back to the servant quarters, her fate will be decided this evening" he spat before turned around sharply, not giving a single glance and striding down the hall and sitting back down on his throne.

"As a lesson to all of you, should you ever mention my brother's name in my court ever again, you will suffer a fate far worse than death, believe me."

…

_S.H.I.E.L.D. Triskelion – interrogation room, 2:08 PM_

"_Why were you late?" _

"_I told you why!"_

"_Come on Violet. I don't want you in here as much as you don't," said Coulson, changing the tone of his voice, motioning the guard to leave them alone. The guard immediately got up and left the room. Violet sat, slumped on a chair, her shackled hands lying limply between her legs as she glared at Coulson. _

"_Violet, just tell me the truth. You staged your car accident. You were feeding information to your twin sister. It was only out of your protestation and hard work that you've done for S.H.I.E.L.D. from stopping us keeping close tabs on Lily. You took your sister's name deliberately to confuse us."_

"_You know why I took my twin's name, it was for the best concerning S.H.I.E.L.D. The best cover-up, should anyone figure out who I was. I never fed any information to Lily. She's innocent and right now stuck on Asgard. She has nothing to do with me anymore."_

"_But you've been meeting her twice a year-"_

"_How did you-" _

"_I said close tabs, not that we weren't keeping tabs on her at all," said Coulson calmly._

"_Then you should know that she knows nothing!" retorted Lily. "You never questioned me about her before, there was no reason to."_

"_You sent Lily deliberately to Loki so that she could feed S.H.I.E.L.D. information to Loki, such as that concerning HYDRA." _

"_Why would I do that? For what possible purpose?" shouted Violet incredulously._

"_Revenge," replied Coulson, staring at Violet, his expression unchanging. "You did not join S.H.I.E.L.D. voluntarily. You are a very good spy Violet."_

"_Yes, working for YOU!"_

"_No," replied Coulson bluntly. "Not for us. For Loki."_

"_You don't even know if Loki is alive. How could you possibly believe-"_

"_Because we split your family apart all those years ago and destroyed your father's career. You want revenge on S.H.I.E.L.D." _

"_You have no evidence Coulson, and moreover you know that that is not true. Why are you pining all this on me? There was a car accident, and I was late. I wasn't even aware that Lily had followed me; I didn't even know she could drive, that's how distant we've become. You haven't found Thor have you? That's why you're nervous."_

_Coulson glanced up at Violet, who stared back defiantly. _

"_No. Thor is back. He failed to reach Asgard, but your sister made it apparently. For some reason the Bifrost wouldn't let him in."_

"_Odin refused to let him in?"_

_There was a prolonged silence where Coulson chose his words carefully._

"_Perhaps," replied Coulson before getting up and leaving. _


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5

Author's note: Just a warning. In case for those who are worried, Lily is not painted in a very good light here, but she is neither a Mary Sue nor a total pathetic dishrag, so she will evolve to become a better person! ;)

I waited. There was nothing I could do but wait until Loki decided on my fate, but I was pretty sure of what he had in mind. For a while I paced around the small room while guards were stationed outside. I felt like I was in a prison. Well, I was, theoretically. And all because of my damn stupid curiosity. Why didn't I just let my sister go? Why did I need to follow her? Now I was going to die…

I sat on my bed and looked up at the ceiling. The thing is, no one would really notice. My family, of course, and for them I felt pain, but apart from that, I wouldn't be such a loss. That doesn't mean that I shouldn't want to live though. No one ever took notice of me. Until now.

Of all the times I could have wished for someone to notice me, the banquet had certainly not been one of them. _He _most definitely was not one of them.

The waiting irked me and I strangely felt nervous. The outcome was inevitable, but after two hours of seclusion I had had enough and just wanted something to happen. It was torture.

But it looked like it was coming to an end.

"Lily of Vaneheimr!" announced the guard who came through the door. "The King is ready with his verdict."

The guard looked at me without batting an eye, waiting for me to leave the room. As I left, I noticed how silent it had become outside. No doubt the banquet had already long gone ended. I walked obediently; three guards surrounded me as we walked through endless corridors which all looked the same. By now my nervousness was gone and all I felt was an empty hollowness where my heart should have been. It was almost as if I had lost all interest in what was to become of me. I felt a little reckless.

We finally stopped and, feeling a cold breeze, I looked up to notice that I was not standing in front of two large gold doors, like I had been expecting. We were, as I quickly assumed, by an entrance to a terrace that over looked Asgard and the Bifrost. Standing by a column and looking out towards this spectacular view was Loki. The guards pushed me forward but he made no sound and did not turn as I stumbled outside. I heard two doors shut bluntly behind me, and I found myself in darkness, except for the light that came from the palace windows and the exceptionally bright moonlight that streamed through the vines that covered the columns and made up for a ceiling. I stopped so I was in the middle of the terrace, as far away as I could be from him but not too far to appear timid. I waited for him to speak.

"You do not bow or acknowledge yourself before your own King peasant," said Loki quietly before turning around slowly.

I immediately bowed; or rather sunk to the ground with my chest to my heart, imitating those I had seen in the banquet. I stared down at the ground before rising, forcing my gaze to look anywhere but at him as I cleared my throat.

"Forgive me, your Majesty. Since you had sent me here, I had assumed that you knew it was me. I am sorry if I have come late." I was shocked to hear a touch of sarcasm in my voice, and prayed that he did not hear it. Of course he did.

"You are aware, peasant, of why you are here?"

I blinked, surprised to hear incredulousness in Loki's voice, and proceeded to look him in the eye. He wore an expression of confusion; something, which I felt, did not really suit him. His emerald eyes looked at me with intrigue, but also bewilderment. It was strange.

Then, as if remembering why _he_ was there, his eyes turned cold and resolute, his face returning to that which I had observed at the banquet.

"You say you are from Vaneheimr?" he asked in an accusing tone.

"Yes," I replied. I'm a terrible liar, and I fought hard to avoid his unwavering glare.

"Are you sure about that?" he asked hoarsely, his figure casting a dark shadow on the floor before me.

"Yes," I said before blinking. _Damn it. _

"You are not what you seem. But then, I'd know all about that, wouldn't I?" said Loki, his voice becoming playful but bizarrely cynical at the same time. He suddenly started to laugh manically, disrupting the calm night of insects singing quietly in the breeze and before I knew it, I was staring at open air and his shadow had started to come towards me. I stumbled backwards, my eyes wide-open as I stared at the menacing thing, before hitting something hard behind me. I gasped as I turned around and was met with green eyes that radiated such anger and hatred, the likes of which I had never seen before. Loki was towering over me, and as I moved backwards again, as fast as I could, he proceeded to smile dementedly, as if he felt enjoyment in seeing my obvious fear and distress.

As I felt my foot hit a column behind me, I put my hand on the side of the terrace in order to try and keep my balance.

"Did you honestly think you could have fooled me?" I heard Loki whisper through the darkness, rage imbedded in his voice. From here I could only make out his figure, for the moonlight did not reach him.

I felt myself freeze. He knew. _He knew._

"Did you honestly think you could have escaped my notice? _Mortal?_"

I flinched as he quickly disappeared before appearing once more, right in front of me.

"Thor sent you here, but not to repay a debt I think," murmured Loki, coming even closer, forcing me to back up against the wall. I could not avoid his gaze anymore and feared turning my face. "As if Jane Foster were not enough, he sends a plain, wilting, _pathetic_ girl here as well," spat Loki with fury, his words hitting me like knives. It wasn't because they were hurtful; it was because they were true.

"That's true," I whisper quietly, feeling a sob coming but trying to force it down. How pathetic could I be?

For a moment, all I can hear is my own haggard breath. I stood still, waiting for more stabbing words.

"You acknowledge your own insignificance?" says Loki bluntly, and surprisingly, he starts gradually pulling away.

I look up, and I know that he can see my tears because I can hardly see his face. But I find myself not even caring if he saw how truly weak I was.

"There is no need to acknowledge it. It is the truth, and I have come to accept it," I managed to say. I had never told anyone that. It wasn't something that you would really want to say to anyone. The God of Mischief was probably the last person I wished to admit this to, but since I was going to die, I figured that this was my last chance, so I might as well be honest.

And then something happened. Something I hadn't expected.

"You think I'm going to kill you, don't you?" spoke Loki slowly with sarcasm, leaning backwards, the tension in the air suddenly rising.

I looked up, surprised.

"You are different from others of your race. You do not seem to even flinch upon the threat of being dominated," spoke Loki, his face, for once, expressionless.

"You're wrong," I retorted back with frustration before my mind could catch up. "I don't want to be the way I am."

"Oh, is that so?" spoke Loki sharply, his face once more filled with cynicism. "Then why don't you try to run? We are in open air, and yet, you do not try to escape."

This was a test, I was sure of it. His eyes spoke more than his words. _Go on. I dare you._

Well, if I had any chance, it was now. He was handing it to me. Why, I don't know, but if I didn't take it, I might never get out.

"I will give you a chance mortal," spoke Loki, his chin raised as he sneered. "Let's see how quick you can run."

And with that, I felt my patience burst and I pushed him aside, running down the steps and into the night, towards the only place of help, my last hope of going home, the Bifrost.

_Loki stared at the girl as she ran through the garden and then out towards the Bifrost. He had seen that she was different and that he would have to adopt a different technique. He was going to make her feel pain, but in the most intimate way possible. Only then could he truly subjugate her to his plans. _


End file.
